Concussion Can Lead to Traumatic Brain Injury

Concussion can lead to a traumatic brain injury. A blow to the head may cause a severe concussion.  Recovering from the brain injury related to a concussion could take took more than a year and sometimes longer.

The occipital nerves begin in the spine in the upper neck and run through muscles in the back of the head and into the scalp.  This was causing the headaches related to the concussion and Traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The Doctor  performed decompression surgery, shaving a tiny section of the muscle around the nerve to help free it. said this type of surgery has been used successfully in whiplash cases, but is not common practice with concussion.

Headaches are common following a concussion, but they are usually blamed on the brain injury itself.  Doctors in this area believe the blow that causes the concussion can also leave some patients with severe neck strain, almost like a whiplash injury.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 170,000 children and teens end up in the emergency room every year with traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, caused by sports or a recreation activity.  Those numbers have jumped 60 percent over the last decade.

Children are more likely to get concussions from a blow to the head than adults, and take longer to heal, according to the CDC.